


Catch Me If You Can

by sagechanoafterdark



Series: Codename: Lazarus [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cussing, F/M, Fluff, Heavy Petting, Jealous Bucky Barnes, Sassy Reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26972653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagechanoafterdark/pseuds/sagechanoafterdark
Summary: It’s the Annual Stark Christmas Extravaganza and you hesitate to name what this thing is between you and Bucky. Maybe being spontaneous isn’t always such a good thing.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Series: Codename: Lazarus [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1968289
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	Catch Me If You Can

Sighing heavily into your drink you reached up itching the back of your head absently, stupid hair spray. Stark parties were renowned and always a-listed with senators and celebrities. A real who’s who and this year Christmas party was no exception. Jesus, you thought you even saw that Tesla guy wandering around here somewhere; then why in God’s name were you so bored?

Scanning the room, the dinner had ended hours ago and the place was in the throws of the evening dance party. Decorated floor to ceiling Christmas tree with its twinkling lights and glittery bulbs stood proud. Meanwhile, the dance floor was crowded with people, jostling and dancing under swirling multicolor lights while where you were people were conversing near high top tables lit with decorative candle centerpieces.

Currently, you were in a “rapt” conversation with some big shot wall street broker when someone bumped into you from behind. The drink in your hand sloshed, the pink liquid sloshing out of the martini glass and down onto the man’s shoes. A gasp escaped you, but honestly, you were grateful to finally have an out.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry doll didn’t see you there.” Bucky Barnes stood beside you, gently touching your arm at the elbow. Concern and a little touch of something else in his blue eyes as he stared down at you. Ever the dashing man, even when he didn’t try to be he was dressed smartly in a three-piece blue suit with his facial hair trimmed just right and one of his rare dazzling smiles directed right at you.

God damn, you could just kick him in the shins. 

“It’s alright Buck,” you said with a half-smile, gesturing to the man you were talking to. “I was just talking with Ian here about stocks.”

“It’s Edward,” the man muttered darkly. 

Not paying much attention your gaze was fixed directly on Bucky, he had a look in his eyes you knew exactly what it meant and it did not bode well. “Well I’m sorry to pull you away but Steve is looking for you,” he said, the excuse sounding lame even to your own ears. “He’s got that thing to talk to you about.”

Raising a brow the smallest of smirks pulled the corner of your mouth, “Oh I forgot. Please excuse me, Ben.”

Bucky placed his hand onto your back and began guiding you away from the man and his sputtered name once more.

“Green isn’t a good color on you Barnes,” you chasted once you were far enough away; back to the bar where you waited for a new drink. “We’re not even officially dating. It was just a conversation about the most boring of topics anyway. Stocks, riveting stuff.”

The momentary frown that marred his face quickly changed into a mischievous smirk at the sarcasm positively dripping off your words and damn if you didn’t love it when he looked at you like that. Gaze warming for a brief moment and eyes crinkling forming the laugh lines you were becoming more familiar with as time went by. “Sounds exciting, about as exciting as your dead-eyed expression as he talked to you.”

You laughed at that, an actual genuine barking laugh that had Bucky grinning ear to ear for once as your laughter died to snorted giggles. “When you’re right you’re right.”

“Enjoying yourselves, kids?”

Tony said appearing beside you both waving for a drink at the bar. His hair was skewed in a thousand different directions and a smudge of lipstick was on the edge of his jaw that just happened to be Peppers color. Your thumb reached out on instinct rubbing it away lightly, “Not as much as you are I’m afraid.”

The comment made Bucky’s face flame red and Tony to laugh turning and looking at you, “Well maybe let loose a little more Lazarus.”

Nose scrunching your turned back towards the bar, “Really Tony, code names? This is a party.”

“Live a little, Y/N,” he scolded, taking the two flutes of champagne from the bartender while giving you a look that screamed double entendre. “It’s Christmas.”

The bartender placed a glass of champagne beside your hand and you took it, sipping at it, “Am I being too stiff tonight?”

“About as stiff as me,” Bucky replied, swallowing a mouthful of scotch. “But then again I hate these things.”

Turning with your back against the bar, your eyes lingered on the people dancing to the beat of the music. The hopeless romantic inside of you wanted to be out there with him, dancing and just having an all-over good time. But you also knew that it would put a definition to what it was you and Bucky were doing. Late nights watching television together, sharing meals, going out for coffee together were all easy to brush off as the two of you being friends. But the late-night booty calls and that first weekend you’d spent together when the whole team had gone was another thing.

Glancing over at him you watched as he took another drink of scotch in his hand. True the budding relationship between you wasn’t a big secret, you lived with super spies so get real, but Bucky had asked to keep it between the two of you and there was nothing you wanted to do more than to respect that boundary. Move at his pace as well as your own.

Still, Stark’s words stung, live a little, you were living right now. Weren’t you? Looking down at the glass of champagne in your hand briefly you came to a decision turning you set it back on the bar, reaching for the glass in Bucky’s hand. Your fingers brushed against his own as you pulled it from his grip with a smile, placing it to your lips and downing the remainder much to his surprise. “You want to play a game?”

Intrigued, Bucky tipped his head back a little, looking down his nose at you a smidgen. You’d seen him do it before, it was his way of playing coy with others and it made a smile tug at the edge of your mouth cause you knew you had him, “Alright, what game is that?”

“My friend and I used to do this thing when we’d go to boring conventions or parties together,” you explained, turning and setting the empty glass down. “It’s a version of hide and seek only ours will be a little better because you’re a super-spy.”

“We live here doll,” he mused for a moment. “Not many places you can hide where I won’t find you.”

“That’s what makes it all the more fun, now I’ll hide and you come to find me. I’ll stay on this floor so there’s no wild goose chase and I’ll keep moving around after a count of, say twenty if you don’t find me.”

Bucky looked down at you and the wild light in your eyes before a grin broke out on his face, one of the broadest you’d ever seen him sport at a gala event. “This sounds so stupid,” he laughed, amusement coloring his voice.

Grasping his arm to steady yourself you lifted one foot, pulling off the silver slingback from one foot then the other. “Oh, it will be fun,” you assured, with a grin. “Especially if you catch me. Now count to thirty and let me hide to make it fair and once I’m settled I’ll begin the count to move, alright?”

“This is so childish,” Bucky said with a roll of his eyes, but his hands rubbed together in emphasized excitement. “Alright better hide real good doll,” there was an edge of a growl in his voice as you turned to go and he leaned down beside your ear. “Cause when I find you there’s not going to be no mercy.”

Another laugh escaped your throat, this one a little more nervous than the last. You recognized that growl by now and it always sent a thrill through you. Lighting a fire at your core and making the butterflies beat against you belly faster than ever before. Leaving him you knew he was watching you as you made your way around the room, slipping in and out of between people to the door, grinning ear to ear as you slipped out.

Looking left and right you assessed where the better hiding places were. This floor had two grand ballrooms just like the one you’d left and a slew of smaller conference rooms to it. Quickly you tossed your shoes in one direction before shimmying behind the assorted potted plants lining the entrance. The smell of fresh dirt and lush poinsettias mixing as you ducked down into space, sure to hide well enough behind the leaves that he’d never even pause thinking you were here.

The door opened to the center and you risked peeking out. Bucky’s tall figure walked right past you, your breathing and the sound of your thundering heart no doubt muted by the bass and chatter from the room beside you. Watching as Bucky assessed which direction to go you knew he spotted your shoes, casually tossed near the bench close by in one direction before he smirked and went in the opposite.

Grinning to yourself you waited for a count of twenty before you got up and moved, shimmying past the plants and looking in the direction he left before picking the same way and sneaking down the hall. He was genuinely looking for you as you snuck behind him. Opening doors to empty rooms and janitorial closets he almost caught you watching him when you’d soundlessly slipped to the other side of the hallway, ducking behind the enormous water feature outside of the next room before slipping inside. 

The lights were dim in here, obviously, in use, for the time being, tables and chairs stacked into a corner waiting to be used and a grand porcelain statue stood proudly at center stage. It was in your opinion ugly as sin but it was made by some famous artist so that made it worth its weight in gold. This was the charity auction piece for next months gala Stark was throwing. It was THE piece he’d invited everyone to look at and create a buzz. Looking around the room you heard the doorknob rattle and gasped before it was unceremoniously thrown open, crashing against the wall with a bang.

“Ah-ha!” Bucky shouted dramatically, stomping in with one foot and pointing directly at you. His smile ear to ear and you didn’t know if it was the prospect of winning or that he’d actually found you. “Got you now, dollface.”

“Dollface?” You laughed, widening your stance ready to run in either direction, your heart beating in your ears, breath heavy with excitement. “You have to tag me first Barnes.”

“Oh I’m going to tag you, sweetheart,” he rumbled from across the room. Unbuttoning his jacket and dramatically making himself ready to chase after you.

You went left and he did too, but you changed direction quick enough before he could get five strides close enough, a shriek of laughter leaving you as you darted around the backside of the statue narrowly escaping his vibranium hand. On opposite sides you both jerked left then right, a bubble of laughter escaping you at the stalemate between you before you picked a direction and made a mad dash for the door on the opposite side of the room.

Halfway there your wrist was snatched in a tight grip and you jerked to a halt. “Gotcha,” Bucky half-shouted with laughter. A shriek of laughter escaped you as he pulled you against his body, warm and firm from the chase. You could feel his heart beating in his chest and you were positive he could hear your own thundering in excitement. Panting for breath and grinning up at him, your hand slipped up to his cheek ready to pull him down into a kiss.

CRASH!

Bucky jumped, startled turning around and looking in absolute horror at the sculpture which now laid in about a dozen pieces on the floor. Blue eyes comically huge as he realized one of you must have bumped it as you both ran around it in the chase. His grip on your wrist didn’t change, he still held you tight but all the mirth had drained out of you.

“Oh my god Bucky,” you gasped, eyes wide and looking at him with terror etched on your face.

“It’s fine,” he muttered under his breath, making a quick decision and ushering you by the elbow towards the side door. “Nobody heard it so it’s fine.”

“Shut up, it’s fine, just chill, we’re fine, we’re fine, everything is cool, everything is good! We’re chill, nothing is happening and I am not freaking out, not at all, we’re FINE,” you muttered as panic the likes of which you hadn’t felt in a long time started to swamp you. 

When you heard voices coming towards the door from the other side of the room it kicked you into pure terror. “Oh my god, we’re not fine Bucky!”

Pulling on your hand Bucky jerked you into a run, the slap of your feet against the floor was loud in your own ears as the two of you ran for dear life. About a dozen collective gasps echoed down the hall along with one or two shrieks of surprise. 

When the click of the door you’d both dashed out of sounded close behind you Bucky promptly shoved you into the closest room, closing the door behind him Bucky stood against it. The frown on your face more than enough to show just how impressed you were with the turn of events. “The utility closet,” you whispered at him. “Really Bucky?”

Starks muffled voice sounded outside of the door, “What way did they go FRIDAY?”

“We’re so screwed,” you whispered, watching as his shadow crossed under the door. 

Maybe it was quick thinking on Bucky’s part but he leaned down, his mouth capturing your own in a sloppy heated lip lock. Flesh hand pulling up at your leg, sliding it to lock around his hip as his fingers trailed roughly up your thigh. An involuntary moan left you as he deepened the kiss, your hands trailing to his hair. “Bucky,” you whined against his mouth, feeling his erection pressing against you. Hips jerking against his own for a brief moment.

“If Stark kills us both,” he whispered against your lips. “I want you to know, you looked beautiful tonight.”

A laughing smile spread on your lips before you pulled him down again back against you, your hips rocking against him as he groaned into your mouth, hand tangling in your hair and tipping your head backward as his lips trailed down your neck. 

The door to the closet was thrown open, light pouring in on the both of you and Tony stood wide-eyed and slack-jawed in his gray three-piece suit. Both you and Bucky blinking back at him owlishly, having been caught; boldness seeped into your veins at that moment. 

“Shut the goddamn door Stark,” you snapped at him with a glare, your lipstick smeared and covering Bucky’s kiss swollen lips.

Eyes wide, Tony snapped the door shut just as Steve’s voice echoed from down the hallway, “Anyone?”

“Nope, nothing this way,” he rattled off, urgent footfalls leaving the two of you in the confines of the closet.

Bucky’s grip on you slackened just a little bit and you found yourself sliding away from him, bare feet suddenly cold on the marble floor. “I’m sorry Buck, I know you didn’t want to tell them.”

His head snapped up to you in the dim light of the closet. “What? I thought you wanted to keep it quiet.”

You could have laughed in his face at that very moment, “We need to work on communicating more I can see.”

“Then you don’t care if they know,” he said, vibranium fingers slipping along your cheek holding you and warming as they touched your flesh. “That you’re with, me.”

A stiff laugh escaped you, hand cupping against his cheek, thumb brushing his beard down a little more. “James I’ve wanted to tell everyone since that first weekend. I was worried you’d want to keep it quiet so I didn’t say anything then. But if you’re sure now.”

“I’m sure.”

The firmness in his voice set the butterflies in your stomach alight again, blue eyes glittering in the dark utility closet. This was not your ideal place to declare your relationship status to one another, smelling like bleach and assorted cleaning supplies, but you’d take it. “Alright. Together?”

Bucky felt your fingers twine together with his own, he held onto your hand shifting his grip and twining your fingers with his vibranium ones. “Together,” he rumbled just over your lips; kissing you sweetly before pulling away and giving a tug on your hand, he opened the door. “Come on, I do believe I owe my girl a dance cause it’s all I could think about all night.”


End file.
